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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday,
January 31, 2008
Contact:
Celinda Adair, Associate Planner, 360-786-5477 or adairc@co.thurston.wa.us
Thurston
County
Planning Commission Holds Hearing Regarding the Long-Term Agricultural Lands
of Commercial Significance Designation Project
OLYMPIA
–
The Thurston County Planning Commission will hold a Public Hearing next
month regarding proposed additions to the areas in the county designated as
long term agricultural lands of Commercial Significance.
The
State has ordered the County to designate these additional areas. Specifically
the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board issued a Growth
Management Act compliance ruling on October 30, 2007 that requires
Thurston
County
to designate the additional acreage. This
means that
Thurston
County
must rezone areas within rural
Thurston
County
to Long-Term Agriculture or Nisqually Agriculture or risk an invalidity
ruling. An invalidity ruling could prevent most building in
Thurston
County
.
The purpose of this hearing is to accept public comment and testimony
on proposed amendments to map M-15, “Future Land Use” and M-42,
“Designated Agriculture and Forest Lands” in the Thurston County
Comprehensive Plan, as well as amendments to the official Thurston County
Zoning Map. It is important to note that designating additional parcels as
Long-Term Agricultural lands of commercial significance will result in the
rezoning of properties from rural densities of 1 dwelling unit per 5 acres or
1 dwelling unit per 10 acres to the Long-Term Agriculture zoning density of 1
dwelling unit per 20 acres or the Nisqually Agriculture zoning density of 1
dwelling unit per 40 acres.
The
public hearing will be held at Swede Hall located at
18543 Albany Street
in
Rochester
on February 13, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. An open house will be held at 6:00 p.m.
For more information on the Long Term Agricultural Lands of Commercial
Significance Project, County residents can obtain a public hearing packet at
the
Permit
Assistance
Center
located at the Thurston County Courthouse Bldg. 1, Second floor or online at www.co.thurston.wa.us/permitting/GMA/agricultural-lands.htm.
Those interested may also contact Celinda Adair at (360) 786-5477 or by
email at adairc@co.thurston.wa.us.
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